Clutch mechanism.



No. 786,294. PATENTED APR. 4, 1905.

J. M. JCY. CLUTCH MBCHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 22, 1902.

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UNITED STATES JOHN M. JOY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

Patented April 4, 1905'.

PATENT OFFICE.

ASSIGNOR TO THE PAGE MACHINE COMPANY, OE NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OE NEW YORK.

CLUTCH MECHANISIVI.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 786,294, dated April 4, 1905. Application filed December 22, 1902l Serial No. 136,271.

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN M. JOY, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clutch Mechanism, of which the following is a specification accompanied by drawings.

My invention relates to clutches for driving mechanisms, but more particularly to those forms of clutches which utilize a spring or springs in their operation; and the objects of my invention are to improve upon such forms of driving-clutches and prevent more than the desired stress being placed upon the springor springs in the operation of the clutch.

Further objects of my invention will hereinafter appear; and to these ends my invention consists of clutch mechanism for carrying out the above objects and embodying the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts having the general mode of operation, substantially as hereinafter fully described in this specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a longitudinal side elevation, partly in section, of a clutch mechanism embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal side elevation of a modified form of clutch mechanism embodying my invention. Eig. 3 is a longitudinal side elevation of another modification, and E ig. 4 is a transverse sectional view on the line 2 2 of Eig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrow.

Referring to the drawings, the part to be driven may be either a shaft A, as shown in Fig. 1,-or the sleeves B B', (shown in Figs. 2 and 3,) and between the driving means and the part to be driven in each instance is arranged a clutch mechanism embodying my invention.

Referring more particularly to Eig. 1, the shaft A is to be driven and is placed under constant stress from the spring C, suitable means being provided for normally preventing the rotation of the shaft A-in this instance a ratchet-wheel D being shown connected to said shaft, a suitable pawl E engaging said wheel. When the pawl E is removed from 50 engagement with the ratchet-wheel D, rotation of the shaft A is permitted under the tension of the spring O, and means are provided for constantly rotating the driving-wheel E without driving the shaft A. The drivingwheel F may be of any suitable character and,

as shown in this instance, it is hollowed and forms onermember of the clutch, the other member of which consists of the beveled disk G, adapted to the hollowed portion of the 6o driving-wheelF. The wheel E is secured to the sleeve H, as shown in this instance, the sleeve and wheel being integral with each other, and another sleeve, I, is secured torotate with the shaftA, as by means of a setscrew J. The springC is secured to the clutch member or disk G, as by means of the setscrew K, and it is also secured to the sleeve I,

as by means of the set-screw L, A wheel O, which may be notched or ratcheted on its pe- 7o riphery, is provided with an inwardly-screwthreaded hub P, adapted to the outwardlyscrew-threaded portion of the sleeveA I, and suitable rods Q, secured to the outer face of the disk G, pass through apertures in the wheel or disk and are provided with adjusting-nuts R, forming stops whereby the wheel O may have a certain amount of play longitudinally of the rods Q.

According to the construction described it So will be seen that rotation of the drivingwheel E will cause rotation of the clutch member or disk Gr, thereby imparting rotation to the wheel or disk and causing it to move longitudinally uponthe screw-threaded sleeve 8 5 I until said wheel or disk O abuts against the stops R... As the driving-wheel and clutch member Gr are rotating the spring C is being wound up, placing the shaft A under a stress tending to rotate it; but it will be seen that when the wheel or disk O abuts against the stops R further winding of the spring C is prevented and the driving-wheel E slips upon the clutch member When the pawl E is removed from engagement with the ratchetwheel D, rotation of the shaft A is permitted, and as it rotates the wheel or disk O may be moved longitudinally of the sleeve I in an opposite direction to that in which it was previously moved, and it will be seen that means are provided for constantly winding up the spring and preventing its total unwinding, while an undue stress may not be thrown upon the spring, or, in other words, it cannot be Wound so tightly as to injure it. If desired, as stated, the periphery of the wheel or disk O may be ratcheted and a suitable pawl S arranged to engage said wheelI and hold the spring in a wound condition when desired.

I am not to be understood as limiting myself to any one particular construction to attain the ends sought for, because many different constructions may be found for carrying out the objects of my invention, and I have illustrated certain modifications which all embody my invention, it only being necessary that some suitable means be provided for preventing the spring being wound up continuously.

Referring more particularly to F ig. 2, the part to be driven in this instance is shown as a sleeve B, and the driving-wheel a is connected to a sleeve Z), loose upon the stud or shaft c, the driven sleeve B being also loose upon said stud or shaft. Connected t') the Wheel a is a socketed clutch member (l, with which a beveled disk or clutch member i is adapted to cooperate, said disk being provided with arms or rods Q', the ends of which pass through apertures in the wheel or disk f, adjusting-nuts f/ being provided upon said rods to form stops for the disk f. ',lhe disk or Wheel f has an inwardly-screw-threaded hub /L adapted to the outwardly-screw-threaded portion f the sleeve B, whereby longitudinal movement is imparted to the disk or wheel f as it is rotated by the driving-wheel and clutch member e. A spring j is connected to the wheel or disk f and to a wheel 1', fast upon the driven sleeve B. If desired, the disk may be provided with' a number of apertures Z, in which the end o of the spring may be thrust to vary the tension of the same. According to the construction described it will be seen that if suitable means are' provided for preventing the rotation of the driven sleeve B the driving-wheel o may be rotated, causing rotation of the wheel or disk f and winding up the spring y' until a given tension is reached, or, in other words, until the disk f abuts against the stops g, at which point the clutch member (l will slide upon the disk or clutch member e. The springs 7) are for pressing the clutch member against the member Z to increase friction.

In the further modification (shown in Fig. 3) I have illustrated a construction in which friction-clutches are done away with, and in this instance the driving-sleeve 1 and driven sleeve B are loose upon the stud 2, although any other desirable driving' and driven members may be provided. 'Ihe driving-wheel 3 is fast to the sleeve 1, and the movable disk or wheel 4, provided with the inwardly-screwthreaded hub 5, is adapted to the screwthreaded portion of the sleeve B. The spring 6 connects the wheel or disk 4 and a disk 7, secured to the driven sleeve B. The driving-wheel 3 in this instance is provided with an inwardly toothed or rateheted flange extending from that face of the wheel opposite the disk 4, while an arm or pin 8, connected to said disk 4, is adapted to coperate with the ratcheted portion of the wheel 3, whereby rotation of said driving-wheel 3 will cause rotation of the disk 4. Since there 4are no frictional clutch members to maintain the parts in position after the spring has been wound up, I arrange a ratchet-Wheel 9 on the stud 2 and secure a pawl l0 to the disk 4, the pawl being of such dimensions relatively to the ratchet-wheel 9 that longitudinal movement of the disk 4 will take place without disengaging said pawl from the ratchet-wheel.

According to the construction described in connection with Fig. 3 it will be seen that rotation of the driving-wheel 3 will rotate the disk 4, causing it to move longitudinally of the sleeve B and wind up the spring 6 until the pin or arm 8 is moved from engagement with the ratcheted portion of the drivingwheel 3, in which case further rotation of the disk 4 is prevented, and the spring will not be wound up any further. The spring' is maintained in the one position by reason of the pawl 10 and ratchet-wheel 9. /Vhen the disk 7, connected to the sleeve B, is permitted to rotate, it will be seen that the disk 4 will be moved in an opposite direction and the pin 8 again brought into engagement with the ratcheted wheel 3.

According to this invention it will be seen that there is a spiral spring encircling the driven shaft and interposed between the said shaft and one member of the clutch, so that the spring may be wound up by the operation of the driving-shaft to place the driven shaft under a constant stress tending to rotate the same. 'I'he said spiral spring extends longitudinally of the driven shaft and at the same time encircles the same, so that the spring may be wound about its longitudinal axis to place the driven shaft under stress.

Obviously my invention may be embodied in widely-varying forms, and therefore, without limiting myself tothe construction shown and described, I claim, and desire to obtain by Letters Patent, the following:

1. The combination of driving and driven shafts, a clutch connecting the two, a spiral spring' encircling the driven shaft and interposed between the said shaft and one member of the clutch, whereby the spring may be wound up by the operation of the drivingshaft to place the driven shaft under a constant stress tending to rotate the same, and means for positively disengaging the clutch IUO members when the spring has reached a given tension thereby preventing said spring from being wound up beyond a predetermined amount, for substantially the purposes set forth. Y

2. The combination of a shaft to be driven and a clutch, one member of which is adapted to be continuously driven from a source of power, a spiral spring interposed between the other clutch member and the shaft to be driven, and extending longitudinally of the driven shaft and encircling the same, whereby said spiral spring may be wound up about its longitudinal axis to place the driven shaft unscribing witnesses.

JOHN M. JOY.

Witnesses:

JOHN H. GRANT, M. F. GERMOND. 

